Reality has set in, Hillary Clinton is (mostly) out of the news and President-Elect Donald Trump has been named Time Magazine's man of the year. Ignore the snarky line labeling him " the President-elect of the divided States of America."

]]>kparrott@acworth.net (Administrator)ColumnsThu, 08 Dec 2016 05:00:00 +0000Responses to Castro's Death Reveal Wide Chasm Between Obama, Trumphttp://www.jackiecushman.com/columns/537-responses-to-castros-death-reveal-wide-chasm-between-obama-trump
http://www.jackiecushman.com/columns/537-responses-to-castros-death-reveal-wide-chasm-between-obama-trumpResponses to Castro's Death Reveal Wide Chasm Between Obama, Trump This past week, Fidel Castro, Cuban dictator, died. The responses from President-elect Donald Trump and the Obama White House underscored how different the two men are, and provided a window into how the next four (or possibly eight) years will differ from the past eight.

]]>kparrott@acworth.net (Administrator)ColumnsThu, 01 Dec 2016 05:00:00 +0000Thanksgiving is a Time to 'Heal the Wouns of the Nation'http://www.jackiecushman.com/columns/535-thanksgiving-is-a-time-to-heal-the-wouns-of-the-nation
http://www.jackiecushman.com/columns/535-thanksgiving-is-a-time-to-heal-the-wouns-of-the-nationThanksgiving is a Time to 'Heal the Wounds of the Nation'

This week, as we celebrate Thanksgiving, let us do so not only with the goal of bringing our families closer together, but bringing our country closer together.

This week, I turned 50. It's one of those really big birthdays, and I thought about it often during the year leading up to the occasion. What would it mean? Would I feel different? Would it change my outlook or perspective?

]]>kparrott@acworth.net (Administrator)ColumnsThu, 17 Nov 2016 05:00:00 +0000The Work is Just Beginninghttp://www.jackiecushman.com/columns/534-the-work-is-just-beginning
http://www.jackiecushman.com/columns/534-the-work-is-just-beginningThe Work is Just Beginning

Sitting in the New York City Hilton, watching the cable newscasters' body language on TV as the numbers began to add up towards a Trump victory was fascinating. Even though I could not hear them, I could see that their body language conveyed an air of disbelief-an inability to comprehend what was happening.

]]>kparrott@acworth.net (Administrator)ColumnsThu, 10 Nov 2016 05:00:00 +0000It's All in the Emailshttp://www.jackiecushman.com/columns/533-its-all-in-the-emails
http://www.jackiecushman.com/columns/533-its-all-in-the-emailsIt's All in the Emails

It's less than a week before the election, and many of us are continuing to count down the days until this seemingly never-ending campaign is over. As the days dwindle, the chaos and carnage of the campaigns have seemingly accelerated. The race coverage has taken on a frenzied and frantic quality, which will accelerate and intensify until all the votes are counted (and possibly recounted) and the election is complete.

This political season has been so heated that many voters are looking forward to putting it behind them -- regardless of the outcome. For those of us who have been inundated with social media, cable and television political talk -- it can seem depressing and debilitating.

]]>kparrott@acworth.net (Administrator)ColumnsThu, 20 Oct 2016 05:00:00 +0000To Change, or Not to Changehttp://www.jackiecushman.com/columns/529-to-change-or-not-to-change
http://www.jackiecushman.com/columns/529-to-change-or-not-to-changeTo Change, or Not to Change The good news is that the presidential election is less than a month away. The bad news is that the onslaught of negative campaigning will continue until then. This past week, in conversations with friends and family, the one item that Democrats, Republicans and Independents can agree on is that we can't wait for this election to be over and done. The daily coverage of personality and problems of both major presidential candidates is unrelenting, making the election feel as though it is never-ending.

I hope Donald Trump was watching his running mate during the vice presidential debate this week. If so, I expect that he learned some valuable lessons.

The debate between Sen. Tim Kaine, D., Va., and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, R., was held at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia.

Kaine and Pence sat a table with the moderator, CBS' Elaine Quijano, who was rarely visible to viewers at home. Instead, TV screens were filled for most of the evening with split-screen pictures showing the two candidates: Kaine appeared aggressive, angry and aggravated; Pence was, well, presidential.